Tag: sex pistols

SEX PISTOLS
“Never Mind The Bollocks (Deluxe Edition)
[UNIVERSAL]
To mark 35 years since its original release, a bumper “Bollocks” box-set has been released this month, along with, for the less fanatical, or more cash strapped punter, this ‘deluxe’ double-disc package. Disc One is “Bollocks” in all its glory. A dozen songs that have stood the test of time and all these years later still pack a mighty punch made up of raucous anthems. I hardly ever spin the original album, but I don’t need to, these songs are etched in to my consciousness. Not only is the music still absolutely rocking, and loaded with Jonesy’s beefy riffs, but Johnny’s vocals remain truly volatile, as he goads, threatens, and snarls at an unsuspecting populace. The rhyming of “Birmingham” and “Abortion” in “Bodies” is lyrical genius.

Let’s not forget too, the album was recorded whilst the band were in a state of flux, with original bassist Glen Matlock jettisoned in favour of the uber charismatic, but musically inept, Sid Vicious. So inept, that Steve Jones recorded most of the bass parts as well on these songs, showing he wasn’t exactly the “Lazy Sod” he professed to be.

Tagged on to Disc One are the B-Sides of their 7″s, all great songs in their own right, but there’s no “I Wanna Be Me”. Not sure why. The pisstaking “New York”, with Johnny sniping about those “poor little faggots” in the NY Dolls, who Malcolm McLaren had managed a few years earlier, is surely evidence the internal battle lines were already being drawn. And listening to “EMI”, the irony wasn’t lost on me that their current label (Universal) is in the process of acquiring said label that hastily cut their losses with the ‘Pistols back in the day. What comes around eh…

Disc Two is live recordings from ’77. A bootleg of the Sweden set will have long been housed in completest collections, and to close are 3 rough tracks from Penzance, Cornwall… “Problems/No Fun/Anarchy”… total primal energy… bosh!

So, that’s what you get on this double-deluxe-disc package. I know pretty much everyone who would want a copy of “Bollocks” already has at least one version, but its historic importance cannot be overstated. The music really does still sound that fuckin’ great. It’s an unlimited supply… and you know the reason why!

Its only been 35 years in the waiting but today marks the release of a promo video for Sex Pistols’s classic ‘Holidays in the Sun’. Unlike the Sex Pistols other single’s from the infamous ‘Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols’ (‘Anarchy in the UK’, ‘God Save The Queen’ and ‘Pretty Vacant’) no promo video for ‘Holidays in the Sun’ was ever filmed.

The newly released promo video was edited by longtime Sex Pistols collaborator Julien Temple and has been compiled from previously unreleased footage especially for use on the limited edition super deluxe box set ‘Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols’.

Temple comments on the vibrant video saying:

“The live performance was shot using one camera and shows the extraordinary captivating quality of the band at the time. There was shock in the room, it was hypnotising, contagious, and unfolded right in front of you. It was filmed in Penzance in September 1977, the Pistols arrived unannounced and the audience couldn’t believe what they were getting”

Limited edition super deluxe box set ‘Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols’ is due to be released September 24th through Universal Music UK.

Can you smell the sausages BBQ’ing? See the pot bellied, tattooed British men giving it the large on the pavements? Can you hear the radios spurting out plastic pop music and hits of yesteryear through tinny speakers hanging from dirty windowsills? Bunting waving in the wind from every lamp post? Oh yes, it’s the celebration that the great British public love – the Queen’s Reign of 60 years, the Diamond Jubilee, the same national event that will be celebrated by millions across the United Kingdom this weekend ahead of the Olympics, and oh, what it is to be British!

The working public will be raising glasses of plonk in the streets to Her Majesty’s service, all of them granted with a day off to party and celebrate her fascinating milestone. The streets will be alive with tales of the good old days, before the internet ruined it all, when families sat down to eat together, when porn was found in the woods, when records were actually bought rather than stolen. The Royal one will be sat at the throne waving her hands at the minions below whilst people hit the streets, ensuring burglars capitalise on the fun due to the worst recession we have seen in years. Partly due to greedy debt her people acquired so they can be seen in the latest designer clothes to clone the looks of the Prince and Princess and the actors and musicians they aspire to.

Not everyone will be waving Union Jacks this weekend. There are many across the country who simply don’t give a monkeys about the Royal spongers and would have not forgotten the days of them sitting at the head of Pall Mall with their smug faces back in the 1970’s, not paying tax, swallowing champagne and having butlers do everything for them.

Whilst Britain remembers itself for a week for the first time in ages, we decided to roll out our top 3 songs that poke fun at the establishment. Yes, they are all golden oldies, as there are not actually that many artists out there these days with any bollocks or lyrical skills to change the perceptions of the general public. In the 70’s, times were tough but people had a voice compared to these days where Anarchy means signing a Facebook petition. For the best results, play these all three songs at 11.

3. The Exploited – Royalty

Politically brash Scottish punks, The Exploited were well-known for their criticisms of the Thatcher government so “Punks Not Dead” album track “Royalty” came as a natural progression of their anti-authoritarian ethos. Here, the Queen receives some serious slandering in the form of lyrics “dirty little bitch” and “fucking little cow”. Mowhawk filth.

2. Sex Pistols – God Save the Queen

No anti-monarchy countdown would be complete without an appearance from Mr Rotten and his gang of filth and fury. The most celebrated anti-monarchical assault in history needs no explanation but to refresh those who don;t know, Virgin Records insisted it came out on the Jubilee in 1977 with the band celebrating the fact with a trip down the Thames on a boat. Their manager Malcolm McLaren was beaten up by the pigs with truncheons as they reached land and the band picked up more headlines than Diana conspiracy theories. ‘God Save The Queen’ went to number 2 in the charts, conspired against by the BBC and the Charts Company to keep it off the top spot. This is one of the best records of all time but sits at number 2 in this countdown once again to make way for…

1. Peter and The Test Tube Babies – The Queen Gives Good Blow Jobs

West Sussex’ moped-hating punks Peter and the Test Tube Babies shocked the scene with release of ‘The Loud Blaring Punk Rock Album’ back in 1984. Filled with derogatory lyrical filth across short but catchy punk tunes that gave a damn good pogo, they single-handedly take the most offensive Queen of England related dig from the mouth of singer Peter Bywaters with his take on Her Majesty’s love of giving fellatio. This album is one of the cheekiest British punk rock albums of all time, find it, be repulsed and sneer with them.

Thanks to artist Ben Allen who allowed us to use his amazing artwork. You can buy this limited edition art directly from here, find him on Facebook , Twitter, and via his blog.

Ben’s next solo exhibition DIRTY SEXY MONEY is his first London solo art show. An introduction to modern day pop art with a spinkling of skulls.

As we approach the 35th anniversary of the Sex Pistols incendiary and landscape changing ‘Nevermind The Bollocks’ album, expect to see lots of nostalgia and media coverage of what is still to many the most exciting musical and cultural youth explosion to ever detonate across the UK.

We’ve all heard the story before, seen a million documentaries, wheeling in the same talking heads, the same archive footage. Thankfully, the forthcoming three-part documentary ‘Punk Britannia’ digs far deeper than the usual punk programming affair. Part one deals with the pre-punk years of ’74-’76, focusing on the ‘pub rock’ explosion that saw the start of the musical landscape shifting away from the bloated prog years and moving back towards short-sharp three-minute power pop songs – out of the stadiums and back into sweaty red-hot back rooms of pubs, with bands like Joe Strummer’s first band The 101ers, Kilburn And The Highroads, Dr. Feelgood etc and looks set to be possibly the most interesting programme of the three as this is an era that hasn’t been detailed as much and is easily as exciting.

Last night Crossfire was lucky enough to attend a private screening of the second part of the series at Soho House in central London. Rubbing shoulders with such essential punk players as The Damned’s Captain Sensible and Brian James, Gaye Advert from The Adverts, John Cooper Clark and Mark Stewart from The Pop Group, among others, free BBC wine was necked and all the old punks piled into the cinema for youths and memories to be re-lived. And whilst in this second part the story does focus on the already very well-told story of The Pistols, The Clash and The Jam etc, what is refreshing about this show is it does spread its wings further and the equally important likes of Sham 69, UK Subs and Stiff Little Fingers also feature heavily.

The third part, however, charts much previously unexplored (by the BBC at least) territory and focuses on the post-punk years of The Fall, PIL, The Pop Group, Crass, Joy Division etc and looks set to wrap up a very worthy look at all the different aspects of the original punk explosion. Don’t miss it!

Filthy punk rock from the 70’s has a place that has been glued permanently in British history. It’s an area where many classic bands have laid foundations within our culture, spawning a plethora of music genres that still use the Punk term lightly. Thesedays, you are lucky to find a British Punk band that carries traditions and does it well. I’m talking about the raw, dirty punk rock that only the likes of the Pistols, Cockney Rejects and Sham 69 would be able to huck out; the sneering, fuck you stuff that gets us all up in the morning.

Welcome to the world of London punk band Burned Out Motors. A band who claim they “formed during a music therapy class within the confines of South London’s Wandsworth Prison.” I guess then, that the attitude that stems from their debut single ‘Bastard’ may well have been derived from picking up the soap a few times too many. Who knows, but they certainly bring sunshine and a little pain to my ears this morning on first listen.

Disposable but charming punk bands like this lot make the world go round and will eat that pansy boy, emo boy band shit out of newspaper covered in salt & vinegar on a daily basis. With that in mind, listen to these boozing, glue-sniffing, drinking, solvent abuse bragging, geezers who love kicking the shit out of cunts at their facebook page. There’s no fancy video, no wanky blog, nothing but this page out there right now, get stuck in.